Belt strap



April 24. 1928.

H. M. BALLOU BELT STRAP Filed Feb. 16. 1927 Patented Apr. 24, 19253.

v mamas oNrr Eo STATES Mim nowann M. BALLOU, or nonrn ATTLEBORO. ass'aonusnrrs, ASSIGNOR To a, BLACK-x nassacrmsnrrs, A COPARTNERSHIP. Q

IN'I'ON & CO., OF NORTH ATTLCEBORO,

BELT Application filed February This invention relates to belt straps for' personal wear with a suitable" buckle or clasp, and is intended toprovide belt con struction that will enable retailers, and particularly small dealers, to satisfy the varying requirements of their customers for belts of appropriate length, without the burden and expense of carrying in stock a much larger supply of belts of different lengths than their volume of trade warrants. Moreover, this new belt construction eliminates a continuous source of loss occasioned by the lack of demand for some of the less called for length of belt, whose carry-over in stock may entail a total loss to the dealer.

With a. View to providinga remedy for this common source of loss and annoyance, I have devised a belt strap comprising the usual two or more plies of leather sewed together by longitudinal rows of stitches near each side edge and having, at suitably spaced intervals in conformity to the nor mal graduation of belt lengths, a plurality of transverse rows of stitches intersecting In the acornpanying drawing I have illustrated a preferred form of my improvement thevsole figure of the drawing showing, partly in perspective and partly in plan view, a laminated belt embodying my aforesaid improvement.

In practice belts commonly range from about twenty-eight inches to forty-tour or forty-six inches in length. disregarding the length of the buckle itself, and increase in size usually by two inch increments: Instead I of providing a single uniform lengthof belt equal'to the greatest length required, it may be desirable to use belts of two lengths or possibly, in some cases of three lengths, each class of belt straps having the maximum length for their class and being stitched in the manner now to be described.

The belt is made up of two plies a of suitably prepared leather although, of

course, it may be made of additional plies,

s'rnnrj r 16,1921 Serial at. 188,563 v and the plies or. layers aresecurely united by means of longitudinal rows of marginal stitches ext'endingfrom end to end of the belt a short distance inside 9 of the edges.

'asto hold the plies together throughout the entire edge portion.

At suitable intervals, say two inches apart, according to the desired graduation in the lengths of belt to be sold, the belt is provided with a series of interior .cross stitches as shown at cl, d (i which preferably follow in form the form of the end stitches at d. These cross stitches are preferably carried across the line of the longitudinal stitches and continued slightly along the outside thereof between the longitudinal stitches and the edge of the belt so'that the end of the belt maybe cutoff at any desired row of stitches close to but beyond the cross stitching so as to shorten it to, the desired length. The intersecting cross'stitches not only securely bind and hold together the edge portion of the beltbetween the two longitudinal rows of stitching, but also serve to prevent the unraveling of the longitudinal stitches where they are cut through to shorten the belt. I

With belts constructed in this manner it will be seen that a very small supply of belts will take care of all likely require ments of customers without requiring retailers to stock up with each of the .ten or twelve lengths of belt'that is required for a complete stock, according to the practice heretofore in vogue. Moreover, should there be'no call ,for theextreme length sizes of belt, such: belt iseasily converted into a more popular length by cutting off the ex cess length from the tab end. A sharp. pocket knife is all that is'needed to convert the belt into a shorter length, and incase the severed end edge should show a light color in contrast with a black body, the application of a fvery little blackingor even of ink to the severededge will make it correspond in color to the blackbody finish. To

indicate thecharactcr of the belt straps buckle is shown attached to one end thereof opposite to the end carrying the cross stitches.

What I claim is:

1. A belt strap comprising plural layers of leather secured together by longitudinal rows of stitches extending along the edge interior transverse rows of stitches at sub stantial intervals intersecting and binding the longitudinal rows of stitches to permit shortening the belt by cutting it across close to and outside of one of the transverse rows of stitches, thereby preventing the side stitches from unraveling and holding the newly formed end edges together.

2. A belt strap comprising plural plies of leather secured together by longitudinal rows of stitches arranged near each edge, the tab end of the belt having a pointed end with the longitudinal lines of marginal stitches extending to the point, plural transverse J-shaped rows of stitching extending across the belt at predetermined intervals "from the end, said transverse rows of stitches intersecting; and binding the lines of longitudinal stitches and continued a short distance in parallelism therewith.

In Witness whereof, I have subscribed the above specification.

HOWARD M. BALLOU. 

